Erick Bennett on the homeless issue in Portland, Maine

[alchea]

Erick Bennett can't conjure up an original thought or solution, so he resorts to the desperate "blame the immigrants" scare tactic. Sad.

[JAK3THETUB3]

@AharonHebert - Why should they be granted help from the state before citizens? They shouldn't. Plain and simple. The majority of them that come here are involved in gangs. They're criminals. Robbing, raping, assaulting, murdering. Do you read the news at all?

How many stores do you enter to see a somali working? How about you do some ride alongs with the PPD and see how many calls you respond to involving refugees?

[JAK3THETUB3]

@AharonHebert -Three out of four refugees typically apply to the city for welfare when they arrive, and many admit Maine's generous benefits are part of what attracted them to the area.

For the Somalis, finding work has proven difficult, as many of those who arrive have no job skills or speak little English. Somali women, especially, face a tremendous struggle finding employment after being raised in a culture where very few girls are even allowed to receive an education.

[MayorErickBennett]

The bottom like is making sure there is shelter and housing for the people that live here is my first priority as mayor to the people that elect me and I will make sure there is.

[MayorErickBennett]

Yes, we built the greatest nation on earth by attracting people from all over the world to come here who wanted to work and own property and be free, not to put them on welfare.

[MayorErickBennett]

Let's make this very simple. Unless someone is a citizen or resident of this country, state and city then they are not eligible for assistance. There is one other state in the country now that takes refugees and that is Georgia. Let them go their. If we cannot afford to take care of our own people we cannot afford to take care of others.

[AharonHebert]

@MayorErickBennett "Let them go their." You should at least check the grammar of your dumb statements before you put them on the internet. You just talk and type and whatever comes out you say,"Hey, I should put this out their(sic) for people to see."

[moarscooby]

@MayorErickBennett I agree Erick and alot of people agree with you too.

[AharonHebert]

80% of the people using the resources are from Somalia. Do you have anything you can show to back that up? What percent are from Sudan? What percent are from Kenya? Oh thats right, if they're African they must be from Somalia, right? So let's cut the resources to REFUGEES, leaving their homeland because of war, starvation and extreme poverty and give the help to the homeless people that live in Florida during the summer. Because those are real Mainers

[moarscooby]

@AharonHebert Bleeding heart liberals like yourself are destroying this state. Good job.

[AharonHebert]

@moarscooby Out-of-touch racist neo-cons like yourself are destroying this country. Good job. See how easy it is to make a ridiculous statement about someone you know nothing about.

[moarscooby]

@AharonHebert I am glad that you think so highly of yourself that you can read my mind and tell that i am Neo-con. Wow you are genius.